Pazu and Sheeta?
by snowbengal
Summary: Pazu and Sheeta return from their adventures with Laputa and return to Sheeta's home in Gondola. This carries on from where Sheeta and Pazu say good-bye to the pirates. Read to find out if Pazu stays with Sheeta and a deep family secret. Please review
1. Sheeta Returns Home

Pazu and Sheeta?

**Pazu and Sheeta return to Gondola. Will Pazu stay with Sheeta or will he go back to his normal life? **

Laputa gleamed with the strange blue light of the ethirium crystal. The castle was still rising higher and higher in to the air. The golden sun burned a yellow path through the clouds to where Sheeta and Pazu were waving. The sky was flushed with apricot, red and cream. The Dola Gang slowly disappeared while still waving. The pink sail of the plane billowed in a sudden wind.

Sheeta's short brown hair was tinted a light red by the setting sun. Her soft grey eyes were filling with tears although she didn't sob. Pazu gently wiped the tears from her white cheeks. Sheeta noticed that his warm brown eyes were moist as well." I'm going to miss them a lot," she said softly. Her lip was trembling with the urge not to sob.

"Yeah I know. I'm going to miss them too." Pazu carefully arranged the controls so that the small aircraft was angled towards the north, towards Gondola. Sheeta's eyes were filled with a longing for her peaceful valley. Pazu seemed to be absent-minded as well because he stared into the distance. Below, the blue ocean glittered with the sun's light. Sheeta looked at Pazu and touched his muscled arm softly. Pazu looked up at her and smiled warmly.

"Pazu?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you…will you…stay with me in Gondola?" I know it's a lot to ask but…will you stay with me?" Sheeta's voice was pleading. Pazu looked startled as if the idea hadn't occurred to him.

"I'll think about it. I really do want to stay with you Sheeta. You're my best friend but I want to see if the miners are all right and they may need my help." Pazu looked at Sheeta tenderly." Sheeta, please don't think I don't want to stay with you." He hugged Sheeta tightly. Sheeta hugged him just as tightly back.

"I understand Pazu. If you do leave, will you visit me?" Sheeta asked quietly while she blushed.

"Of course," Pazu said looking surprised." How could I not visit you?" Sheeta didn't say anything but Pazu could see a radiant smile spreading across her face. In the distance, the sun was setting. The sky slowly faded to a dusky blue with streaks of purple. Sheeta fell asleep with her head on Pazu's back. Pazu relished the warmth of her head on his back as he guided the small plane towards the shape of mountains in the distance. Pazu was awestruck by the beauty of the mountains. He had listened to the stories of Gondola's mountain when Sheeta had felt homesick, but he had never imagined how enormous they were. He turned around and looked at the sleeping Sheeta.

Her face looked peaceful and content despite the smears of grime and tears. Pazu gently shook her awake. Sheeta opened her eyes and looked a little confused. Her eyes fell on the shapes of the mountains as she let out a gasp of delight. "Gondola," her voice was just a whisper. Her eyes reflected the moonlight so that her eyes looked silver. She stood up and tears were coursing down her cheeks. Pazu looked down at the valley Sheeta had pointed out. There was a little farm nestled in the green waves grass that rippled under a strong wind. Pazu looked down and saw a small wind mill lazily spinning in the wind as well. He guided the small plane into the valley, in front of the farm. Sheeta immediately jumped off and ran to the stables to where the animals stood. She buried her face in their warm fur. They didn't seem to have been affected by her time away. Pazu watched with a smile as she stroked and kissed the animals. She finally turned around after feeding and watering the animals.

She ran over to Pazu and grabbed his hand." Pazu, you have to see my house!" She pulled Pazu to the farmhouse with her shadowy eyes sparkling. Pazu laughed at her excitement as they ran through the house and looking at Sheeta's childhood home. Sheeta stopped in the living room where the crest of Laputa was engraved in the wall above the fireplace. There was an empty chair before the fireplace. Sheeta's excitement seemed to drain away as she stared at the chair.

"What's wrong Sheeta?" Pazu asked.

"N-nothing. It's just Grandma always sat in that chair and told me stories about Laputa…" Pazu took her hand and led her away. Sheeta said," I'm tired, I want to go to sleep." Sheeta led Pazu to a small sink where he could wash up. She then led Pazu to the small bedroom and started to make a make-shift bed out of soft blankets and pillows on the ground." Pazu, you can sleep on the bed, I took _your _bed the last time." To stop any arguments, she climbed into the make-shift bed and fell fast asleep.

Pazu looked at Sheeta again who obviously very deeply asleep. He came down and sat next to Sheeta. He watched the gentle rise and fall of Sheeta's chest. Pazu thought," How could I leave her?" He mused aloud to himself. He watched as Sheeta turned over and murmured.

"Laputa. Please stay…Pazu…Pazu…Pazu…" Pazu's heart twisted with indecision. He lay back on bed and stared up at the white-washed ceiling.


	2. Pazu's Decision

Pazu's Decision

Sheeta opened her grey eyes slowly as golden sunlight slanted across her white face. She looked up at the bed where Pazu had been sleeping the night before. A terrible feeling of panic seized her chest as she saw the bed was empty with the covers folded neatly. She ran out of the room, only stopping to put on her leather shoes, and scrambled outside. Her heart calmed as she saw Pazu's figure outlined against the light of the rising sun. The cool and pure air of the mountains caressed her cheeks as she walked up to Pazu who was staring into the distance as if lost in thought.

"It's beautiful isn't it? The sunrise in the mountains of Gondola, I mean." They are even more beautiful when watching them with a dear friend." Pazu turned his head to look into her eyes. He nodded slowly and smiled mechanically as if the smile put a strain on him. Sheeta sat down on the dewy grass and Pazu did the same. Pazu picked a small, delicate, pink blossom and handed it to his friend. Sheeta tucked the small flower behind her ear and smiled as the fragrance perfumed the air. They both stared into the pale sky, each absorbed in their own thoughts. A flock of pure white doves flew through the sun's honey rays tinting theirs wings a light yellow. Sheeta watched them reminded of the song that Pazu had played when the impending dawn had peeked over his town and when she had first met Pazu. There were so many memories that Sheeta closed her eyes to savor them.

The doves seemed to have given Pazu his voice back. He said, very softly," Sheeta, I…I'm going home, back to the miners until things settle down. I swear, no I promise that I will be back! I will come back to live with you!" He sneaked a glance at Sheeta's expressionless face. His hands tightened on the wet grass as he waited for her reaction.

Sheeta met his gaze with a steady glance and then she turned her face away from her and said calmly," I understand your decision but you must come back! I need you!" her clear voice broke on the last word. Pazu was confused at her steadiness but didn't say anything. She suddenly whirled around and hugged him tightly. Sheeta memorized the warm brown of his soft hair, his kind face, his beautiful tawny eyes and lastly, his battered yellow hat. Pazu closed his eyes and hugged her warm body just as tightly, memorizing her as well. Sheeta let go and said," Hurry Pazu! Go before I change my mind!" Pazu ran to where he had landed the plane and got in. He looked back to where Sheeta was standing, watching him.

A small breeze caught the sail and Pazu was lifted into the air. He smiled and laughed as Sheeta waved to him and blew him a kiss. He felt infinite sadness as he rose higher and higher into the blue sky. Sheeta's dark hair rippled in the breeze and the pink flower floated down. With a final wave, Pazu lost sight of the small figure that was his dearest friend. He heard a sob as he too cried. Down in the valley, Sheeta crumpled to the sweet grass and let her salty tears pool on the ground as she wailed to the empty sky.


	3. Memories and Return

Memories and Return

Pazu let the last, shining notes of his trumpet linger in the air and watched his white doves fly through the stone walls that heralded the sun. They reminded him of the day he had made the decision to part with his best friend. Princess Lusheeta, the last heir of Laputa, had been one of the most important people of all to him. It had been five years and Pazu had not visited his friend yet he never forgot that day or Sheeta. He lay down on the rough, red bricks of his tower and remembered with vivid clarity the pleading tone of her voice or sadness that was submerged in the shadowy gray depths of her steady eyes.

_"I understand your decision but you must come back! I need you!" _The words echoed in his head non-stop. "Sheeta." The word slipped out of his mouth, suffused with longing and pain and love. His tongue felt bitter when he thought of the promise that had not been fulfilled yet. Pazu suddenly scrambled up and went down the tower into the house where he proceeded to make breakfast. He looked around as he entered and everything seemed to mock him, to remind him of the friend he had not seen in five long years. Even though the robot from Laputa seemed to have destroyed everything in his house, fragments of his home had still remained. It had taken two years to rebuild his home, with the help of the miners, and was now in its original state of coziness.

The miners had had a tough year, Pazu surmised as he cooked some eggs over the stove. He had tried to convince himself that he had done the right thing by coming back and helping out. The army from the government had come through the town ransacking everything to find Sheeta and had taken many supplies and food when they had left. Still, his mind didn't buy his excuses and he only wanted to have a glimpse of Sheeta again.

The sizzling of the egg caught his attention and he flipped it onto a piece of brown bread that was waiting on a chipped platter. He sat down at his battered table while sipping a cup refreshing milk while he slurped the egg down. His mind flitted to the time he spent in the dark mine with Sheeta and old Uncle Pom. Uncle Pom! That was it! He could go and talk to Uncle Pom about his memories and longing for Sheeta. Shoving the bread into his mouth he packed a bag of food and brought along some matches and an old lantern.

He hurtled through the still town until he slammed into his boss and fell backwards onto the dirt road. He slowly looked up until he met his boss's face while smiling sheepishly.

"Where're you off to so early Pazu?" His boss's brown mustache bristled as he fixed Pazu with a glare.

"Um…to…th-the…old mines! I wanted to see if there was anymore coal! Um…see you! I'll be back for work!" He left with a huge smile while his boss was still confusedly scratching his head and muttering that there was no coal in the old mines. Pazu sprinted for the dark hole in the side of the hill where the army had captured him and Sheeta. He stopped at the entrance and looked around carefully. Grass was swaying in a wind while bits of dead leaves swirled in a small eddy while fluffy clouds raced across the forget-me-not sky. Pazu smiled and ducked into the hole after lighting the lantern. The golden light surrounded him in a globe as the dank scent of the air met his nostrils.

Pazu swung his lantern around in an arc, illuminating the ragged holes and mining tracks in the dark depths of the cave. Pazu walked slowly, his footsteps echoed loudly and eerily in the empty of the silence of the abandoned mining site. At intervals, Pazu would look around for the hunched figure of Uncle Pom, yet, however he strained his eyes, he didn't see anybody. Discouraged he sat down by a black river. He pulled out a green apple from his canvas bag and started munching stolidly on the sour fruit. As the smooth, emerald skin ripped under his chewing teeth.

"Who goes there? Is it another goblin?" a quavery old voice broke the heavy silence as Pazu heard a faint clanking as an old man came into the light of Pazu's lantern. Uncle Pom was more hunched and had a longer beard but otherwise he looked the same with his tent, blankets, and pots strapped into a big lump onto his back. His black eyes stared at Pazu with sudden recognition. "Pazu, my young and dear friend!"

"Uncle Pom! It's great to see you again! " Pazu hugged the old man tightly. He let Uncle Pom sit down right next to the river before talking. "Uncle Pom, do you remember my friend Sheeta?"

"The she-goblin with the ethirium crystal?"

"Yeah the same one! Well, I promised her I would come back yet could I leave the miners alone and live with Sheeta? I feel like I would be betraying my boss and all my other friends."

Uncle Pom was quiet for a few moments, with his eyes closed in thought. Pazu waited as the silence stretched into minutes before he finally spoke." It seems that we should consult the stones before we make any rash decisions." He picked up Pazu's lantern and blew out the tiny flame. Darkness surrounded them once more but only for a moment. A faint blue glow started to lighten the walls of the cave. Sparkles and webs of the pale blue light stretched across the stone wall up to the roof of the cavern which glittered like a night sky. Pazu's breath was taken away by the beauty of the blue crystals that the plain rocks had become. For the first time he heard a soft whisper like clouds brushing together or the sound of darkness singing together in a chorus.

_Sheeta…promises kept and promises broken…memories…choices…hearts…and true love…Laputa…_the voices whispered into nothing. The blue glow stopped abruptly as Uncle Pom relit the lantern." Well Pazu, it seems the stones told you to follow your heart. The choice is yours." His simple statements caused two longings. Sheeta or the town he had grown up in.

Pazu stood up suddenly and faced the old man resolutely." Thank you for your advice Uncle Pom. I've made my decision!"

Please review this for me. I want inspiration for the next chapter!


	4. Chapter 4

Reunion

Pazu guided the small plane towards the looming mountains that spiked the black night sky. The moon was a full, white pearl gleaming among the stars that glittered like diamonds. Pazu breathed in the cold air and exhaled in plume of silky breath. His hands were trembling in excitement at the thought of seeing his dearest friend again. After five long years Sheeta should have been 16 by now. Pazu again spotted the place where he had made his decision to leave and it brought up fresh memories. He winced as Sheeta's cry of pain and sorrow reverberated through his skull and her tears dropped into the grass. _I'm sorry! I'm sorry! _He repeated over and over as the plane landed with a soft thud, sending ripples across the green grass. Pazu jumped out and ran across the silent ground with his tension and excitement growing.

There was the farmhouse and the windmill. Pazu ran to the wooden door and knocked gently. Nobody answered. Pazu opened the door and walked into the dark house that smelled faintly of apples and straw. "Sheeta?" he called out. Accidentally, he stubbed his toe on the leg of a chair in the darkness. "Ow! Ow ow ow ow! He yelped while he hopped around on one foot, massaging his toe through the beaten leather of his shoe. As he gingerly set his foot on the ground, he thought he heard a faint strain of music. Pazu leapt out and listened intently. Again he heard the sound floating through the cold air. "Sheeta!" Pazu ran towards the music, forgetting the piercing pain of his sore toe.

He ran up a small hill so fast, his eyes watered from the force of wind blowing into his face. Pazu looked into the distance where he could see a faint silver glow wreathing a slender figure. Heart beating, he ran silently towards the dark figure with his voice gone because of a lump that choked his throat. The music was so sweet; it was as sweet as a breath of summer or spring. The notes seemed to be delicate crystals dropping from the air, each one with a rainbow of sound and beauty. The sad melody seemed to be the song of Laputa. "Sheeta." He said softly, savoring the flavor of the name on his tongue.

She was wearing a deep blue sweater the color of the ethirium crystal. On it, embroidered in gold, was the winged symbol of Laputa. To complement her sweater, she wore a skirt down to her knees that was as white as snow and bright as the moon. Sheeta once more had two long, chocolate brown braids that reached down to her waist. She was wearing a white headband this time and in her hands as a silver flute. Sheeta was playing with her eyes turned towards the sky so she couldn't see Pazu watching her. Moonlight seemed to be sliding in a halo around her and illuminating Sheeta with a soft, silver light. Pazu slowly approached his friend and touched her on the shoulder.

Pazu blinked as his back hit the ground in the space of one second. He gazed into the face of his friend. Sheeta relaxed her grip on the flute as awe flooded her face. "Pazu? Is it really you?" she said in her clear voice that had deepened a little over the years. Her face was radiantly beautiful with a hint of her child features. Her shadowy grey eyes had remained the same except there was more depth and the color had darkened a little. She threw aside and hugged Pazu as tightly as the day he had left.

Pazu smiled until his lips were numb and melted into her tight embrace. He didn't say anything because he didn't want to spoil this perfect and shining moment. It was like waking up and finding that he had a holiday only much, much better. He just drew Sheeta to him and smelled her dark hair that smelled like sunlight and rain. After a long moment, Sheeta raised her face and Pazu saw wet trails threading across her white face and Pazu discovered a tear was resting on his cheek. Sheeta smiled again, it really did make her look like an angel, and wiped the drop away with a long finger.

"Oh Pazu, I feel like this is a dream. A dream which I never want to wake up from!" Sheeta said softly. Pazu nodded and stood up slowly while wincing and rubbing his back. Rose flooded into Sheeta's cheeks as she apologized." I'm sorry. You surprised me! I'm usually alone in these mountains!"

"Where'd you learn to do that? I never saw it coming."

"After Laputa, I decided to learn the martial arts after Muska's men took me away.

"Really? Where'd you learn it?"

Sheeta and Pazu fell into a comfortable conversation as they trooped over the hills back to where the small farmhouse nestled in the small valley. Sheeta threw some wood into the empty fireplace as she took out flint and steel. Soon, she had a warm blaze going as the golden flames dispelled the frosty cold of autumn. Sheeta grabbed Pazu's hand, with surprising strength, and led him to the small kitchen. Pazu helped Sheeta start the second fire which illuminated the small but cozy kitchen. Sheeta sat Pazu down at the one of the wooden chairs and started making food.

Pazu watched Sheeta gracefully move from place to place and he was surprised at how much she had changed over the five years. Sheeta had grown much taller for she was as tall as Pazu yet she was still as slim as a stick. Pazu jumped as Sheeta put a bowl and spoon before him. She giggled with amusement.

"No need to be so scared Pazu! You're safe here! Eat up." The clay bowl was filled with a thick and rich soup with meat dumplings and herbs. Pazu ate ravenously since his last meal had been before he had left. Pazu rolled his eyes in his appreciation of the soup and dumplings. Sheeta filled her own bowl and chatted with Pazu again. At last, Pazu finished his fourth bowl and belched loudly. Sheeta laughed again and this time, Pazu joined in the laughter.

"So Sheeta, where'd you get the flute?" he asked examining the cool metal of the instrument.

"After I finished learning martial arts, the master who I trained with gave me this as a gift. It's actually more than a flute." Sheeta picked up the flute with her slender fingers and pressed a small button. A gleaming blade shot out of the end of the flute.

"Whoa! It's a sword!" Pazu exclaimed," Can you use it?" Sheeta nodded silently. She brandished the sword and sent it swishing through the air but brought it back up to twirl it behind her and pass it to her left hand. Pazu looked at her with awe and admiration. Sheeta smiled and pulled him up from the table.

"Time for bed Pazu!" Sheeta said cheerfully and led him to the bedroom. To his surprise, there were two beds." I made another bed because I knew you'd come back." Pazu's face burned as he remembered how close he came to breaking that promise. Sheeta lay down on the bed and was silent for a few moments as she folded the blankets around herself snugly.

Pazu suddenly asked," Hey Sheeta, why aren't you mad at me?" His heart pounded as he asked the question that had been squirming like a worm through his brain.

"Why Pazu? Why would I be mad at you?" Sheeta asked turning to look at Pazu.

"Aren't you mad that I left for so long?" Again, silence weighed heavily on Pazu's ears as he waited for Sheeta's answer.

"You came. That's all I ever asked." Sheeta closed her eyes and fell fast asleep in a minute. Pazu sat down and looked at Sheeta's face like he had done five long years ago. The moon gilded her face to a soft, pale, silver as Pazu kissed his friend gently on her cheek." Good night Sheeta. I love you."


End file.
